Turning Instant Photographs into Surreal Collages with @andrewjmillar

To see more of Andrew’s delicately composed collages, follow @andrewjmillar on Instagram.

“I’ve worked with original Polaroid SX-70 cameras since I was a teenager and have quite a collection now,” admits Andrew J. Millar (@andrewjmillar). The 31-year-old artist from London creates mixed media collages by assembling instant photographs – from one to over 100 pieced together – and taking an instant photograph of the final composition.

“Instant film is interesting because there are many different manipulation techniques that can be applied,” he says. Andrew’s preferred altering techniques include emulsion lifts, where a Polaroid is soaked in hot water until the top emulsion layer floats off of the backing and is transferred and manipulated to a new surface. As well as double exposures, where you trick the camera into releasing the shutter twice exposing two different images in a single Polaroid. Lately, Andrew started adding to his creative process: He applies layers of paint or gold leaf to the final instant photo before digitally enlarging the artwork to be screen-printed.

My fashion photography is grounded in art. I love the old, painterly feel that a Polaroid gives and the excitement of seeing how it will turn out, and never really knowing. Polaroid film is old, and often that makes it imperfect and each frame is unique - I love that. I also love the instantaneous nature of seeing something coming to life on print.